Hearthstone [IRC Channel #Skillstone]

[Swamp Link]

I started saving up gold before Naxx, and I would have had enough to just ride my daily quests even if they were 40 gold, but I got robbed by Plague Quarter (Blizzard says they're working, but still haven't been refunded) so I've had to just grind, which is fine because I have free time in the summer and I enjoy it. I played wing 3 a few days late and I didn't play wing 4 until yesterday, though, so it has been annoying. If I get the gold back then I'll have enough for Frostwyrm on Tuesday, though.

 

[Matthew]

Dumb Question: How are you guys making so much cash to unlock wings each week?

I just paid for it.

 

[LonelyNess]

I make my cash via my job.

 

[His Eminence Lord Poppington II]

ok so i've been hearing that aggro rogue is in general accepted to have the best match up against midrange hunter, but i've seen it lose as well so y'know, whatever.

i bought packs at the start to jump-start my collection and saving gold after that was never a problem. i had more than 3500 before naxxx came out, i'm at 1200 now. it accumulated from ranked / quests and not spending much gold on packs, with the occasional arena run.

 

[Mulligan]

Yeah, Midrange Hunter typically loses to any decent aggro deck, but it's not unwinnable for them. The problem is that most (maybe all) of the known aggro decks do terrible against Zoo, the other popular deck on the ladder right now. Backspace Rogue probably does a little better now than it used to because post-Naxx Zoo is slower. I was trying out Aggro Warrior again and I found that I really have to faceroll to even stand a chance at beating Zoo. Their minions are better/stickier than mine so I can't really be bothered to trade unless absolutely necessary. It does do pretty well against Midrange Hunter, however. Maybe Aggro Hunter does OK vs. Zoo as well? I don't remember. I haven't played that deck in months.

I feel like I'm walking around lost in this new "meta" (read: lack thereof) right now and kind of struggling on ladder atm. Admittedly I haven't pushed nearly as hard as last season though. I'm also in a weird spot where I have enough dust to craft one of three decks that I was never able to play before. It's between a variant of Warrior Control, standard Paladin Midrange/Control and Freeze Mage without Giants. Freeze Mage actually excites me the most, but it seems extremely weak in the Naxx meta (Loatheb, Hunters are everywhere, Warrior Control is more popular etc). I think Freeze Mage would have to look completely different if it was to function now. Pally and Warrior play very similarly, so it's hard to pick even between these two if it came down to it. Ultimately I want something that could complement Midrange Hunter in a tournament setting where there are BO3s and BO5s, but at the same time I don't want a lineup that loses to a single deck/class.

As far as buying Naxx, I've been F2P the whole time and had just been grinding in general. When I heard the announcement of Naxx, I started hoarding gold almost immediately. I've got just enough for the final wing next week and then I'll be back at 0 or close to it.

 

[Matthew]

So here's my new deck I'm running:

It's basically a fucking stacked version of Kolento's Paladin more suited to this slower metagame. Harrison can be replaced with Rag depending on how many Warriors, Shamans, and Bow Hunters you're playing against. It's gotten me to rank 5,4 so far and I think it has crazy potential with a few minor tweaks.

 

[Mr.E]

I know it's only two bosses but how disappointing, I beat Heroic Sapphiron and Kel'Thuzad first try. :(

 

[Swamp Link]

I don't get Acolyte of Pain in Paladin lists. Yeah, you don't have much natural card draw, but the only way of activating the Acolyte to draw more than 1 card is usually if they have a minion that you've used the Aldor Peacekeeper or Humility on, and I feel like that's not consistent enough. It's also a shitty minion for early game board control, so I prefer Loot Hoarders, which can actually trade for other 2 drops.

 

[Matthew]

I don't get Acolyte of Pain in Paladin lists. Yeah, you don't have much natural card draw, but the only way of activating the Acolyte to draw more than 1 card is usually if they have a minion that you've used the Aldor Peacekeeper or Humility on, and I feel like that's not consistent enough. It's also a shitty minion for early game board control, so I prefer Loot Hoarders, which can actually trade for other 2 drops.

It's meant to combo with the pyromancer -> heal, humility play. It's average but Loot Hoarder is also too weak for a control deck like this.

 

[Mr.E]

Acolyte is also a more respectable 2/4 with Sword of Justice. Honestly, I thought it was pretty decent the brief period I was trying to play control Paladin (before going back to taunt++ durid to fight the Huntard menace instead).

 

[Joeyboy]

Are you having luck with taunt Druid against hunter? I don't think I've lost to that deck with my hunter yet

 

[Swamp Link]

This is my version of the Tauntadin, I see what you're saying with the Acolyte, I remembered the synergy with Pyromancer after I asked, but I've been doing alright with the Loot Hoarders, and I like the higher attack.

Cards I would swap in if I had every card in the game: Harrison for the Ooze, Black Knight for Avenging Wrath

 

[Shinryu]

Finally got my 3rd legendary...Millhouse Manastorm >.>

I am right in thinking he's horribly useless since giving your opponent free spells just for a 4/4 for 2 mana is bad right? I guess if you literally play it like t2 and pray your opponent has no spells, but I can't see why you'd ever play it beyond that...

Well at least that's 400 dust to something I could use I guess.

 

[Swamp Link]

Finally got my 3rd legendary...Millhouse Manastorm >.>

I am right in thinking he's horribly useless since giving your opponent free spells just for a 4/4 for 2 mana is bad right? I guess if you literally play it like t2 and pray your opponent has no spells, but I can't see why you'd ever play it beyond that...

Well at least that's 400 dust to something I could use I guess.

Well, Millhouse works in super aggro decks where all you care about is getting a 4/4 body on the board on turn 2. But yeah, he's not exactly a common or top-tier legendary. Fun card, but you're probably better off making a good Epic if you don't care about niche rush decks much.

 

[Shinryu]

Eh the only aggro deck I'm even half good with is Warlock zoo, and that's only because its super easy to play >.>

Well 400 dust for 4 Rares of my choice, not bad. Maybe some Auctioneers...

 

[Mr.E]

Are you having luck with taunt Druid against hunter? I don't think I've lost to that deck with my hunter yet

It's not as good as I had hoped but it's okay, even-ish. Highmane is honestly the only scary card but of course it's like Turn 6 Highmane every single time and usually the second following up shortly thereafter. :[ Seriously fucking sickening how broken Huntard is right now.

Back to Priest for the moment. Someday I will avoid a bad streak of RNG long enough to make my way back to Legend... pretty close at the moment.

 

[Soul Fly]

Balls Lv2

 

[Mr.E]

love how I've spent the last 8+ hours playing only to go from four stars rank 1 to rank 4

this game is literally 110% skill-based

<MrE> this is how bad my opponents are: turn 8 naked al'akir, goes to face
<MrE> something tells me my rank is much lower than it should be
<MrE> my opponent has also willingly killed both zombie chows with soulpriest active

 

[Shinryu]

Ok if I had to pick one, should I go with Backspace (DE 300 dust) or DE extra cards (DE 1k dust) for Miracle rogue?

Lists I'm looking at:

http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/60091-backspace-coldlight-rogue

http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/307-miracle-rogue-1-legend-eu

I dunno, I don't have the second legendary that either of the decks run, and of them King Mukla seems more necessary than Bloodmage Thalnos does for the deck it's ran in, and I don't have the means to get another legendary unless I pretty much DE every non-rogue deck card I have. So from that perspective, miracle might win out being a better buy if backspace really needs Mukla. But on the other hand, if it doesn't really need it, then I can build it with minimum investment and start saving up dust for other stuff.

So any thoughts as to which is the better buy?

 

[LonelyNess]

you need mukkla in any deck that revolves around filling the opponent's hand and burning cards, it's non negotiable

 

[Shinryu]

I don't know, the way I always kinda thought of it, the milling is just more of a side benefit with coldlight oracle if you happen to get Mukla out also, while the main win condition is still drawing through Oracle for Leeroy-Shadowstep-Leeroy (alternatively subbing Leeroy for any other charge monster it runs). Or am I kinda off on how Backspace works?

 

[Mulligan]

Shinryu if you haven't jumped ship yet on the dust, the Backspace Rogues that were played in recent tournaments (VGVN #1 and the other idr) didn't have Mukla at all. Instead, they ran Blood Knight. I don't know if something like Dancing Swords is a "replacement" if you don't have Blood Knight either though. Nowadays, I generally would rather just add another card like a Backstab or something instead of trying to add something that "almost does the same thing but not quite". I did the latter when I first played but it didn't work out too well. Some people that still play the deck feel that Mukla, while still strong, isn't quite as good post-Naxx.

Speaking of which, I always said that if I pulled a "bad" golden legendary, I would auto-dust for 1600. Well, I recently pulled the big monkey himself in his golden form and, even if he isn't as good right now, I...just can't bring myself to do it :(

But yeah, Coldlight Oracle is used mainly for additional card draw. The milling is just a side benefit (only good vs. control decks anyway since they naturally hold their cards in hand). That's why you typically don't play Oracle on turn 3, but in the midgame (turns 5-7) because you get to use the cards you draw first since your cards are so low mana cost.

 

[His Eminence Lord Poppington II]

Backspace is aggro first, mill second. That deck might do well with echoing ooze (t3 two 5/2s) and maybe shade of naxx. I don't view it too fondly right now outside of attempting to counter hunter, though. The resilience of naxx minions (esp sludge belcher) has made it less good.

 

[Shinryu]

Yeah, Naxx minions definitely are kinda hard to handle. I still haven't decided yet on which to craft, I might just make another oracle and hold off on the arcane golems and just make a rough version of Backspace just to see how well it could play. If anyone has a more recent list I'd be interested in seeing if no one minds sharing.

How about the other end for miracle? The main cost factor for me in making it is Preparation since I have none, I assume it's still ran in 2s?

 

[Matthew]

You need to have two Preps